Souness believes the landmark is more than deserved as he ranks the 32-year-old as the most influential player of the last 10 years.

Asked whether Gerrard was one of the best England players of his generation the former Scotland international said: "If not the best. I'm trying to think over the last 10 years....I'd have him as number one.

"Frank Lampard is a great midfield player and scorer of goals but I think Steven has the edge on him - then you start to compare him with strikers.

"From a European Cup final in Istanbul to games where they have been drifting, where the game has maybe been going away from them, he has done something magical, scored a goal or created something.

"He has been the outstanding performer at Liverpool in the last 10 years by a country mile.

"I look at him this year and I think he has modified his game. I think he is less explosive and he's more of a proper central midfield player now.

"It's not to say he has gone backwards as a player but when you get a bit older you haven't got those same energy levels and he has adapted his game.

"Because he's such a wonderful passer of the ball I feel a newer role would help him and providing he can avoid injury, he could play like that for another three years, no problem."

Better than Dalglish?

Souness played alongside Kenny Dalglish, widely regarded to be the club's greatest player, but the former Reds manager believes Gerrard has a justifiable claim to assume that honour.

"It's not a comparison I could make," he told a Hall of Fame event at Hampden Park.

YNWA: Steven Gerrard of Liverpool hugs manager Kenny Dalglish in April this year (Photo: Andrew Powell)

"Kenny would be the first to tell you he played in a better team than Steven Gerrard has ever played in at Liverpool and Kenny was surrounded by better players than Steven Gerrard has been surrounded by in his time at Liverpool."